Tuesday, August 26, 2008

18. Buckwheat

The leaves of Fagopyrum esculentum are beautifully arrow-shaped and emerald green. I brought a stem with a flowering head in to my kitchen windowsill, and got to see one of the flowers begin to turn to that familiar triangular buckwheat hull.

There is a great recipe for Kasha Varnishkas in The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, by Peter Berley, but the preparation is a bit labor intensive for this 30-minute (or less) meal gal. The homemade vegetarian gravy makes the dish! The leeks and portobello mushrooms make this a great fall dish.

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About the 100 Species Challenge

Learn to identify one hundred species of flora within walking distance of your home! scsours began this challenge in July of 2008, and I was eager to hop on the bandwagon about a month later. I've remembered much and learned even more. It's been a fun but slow process. Spring has finally arrived here in Massachusetts, and I will hopefully be posting often soon.